ChinonAuto 3001
Autofocus Compact
The story
Place the Chinon Auto 3001 in context and you land in the first wave of motorised, beeping, infrared-focusing pocket cameras that made parents finally retire their rangefinders. Catalogued as a autofocus compact, it pairs the Chinon 38mm f/2.8 with a 35mm film path. Worth knowing up front: one of Chinon's earliest fully automatic AF compacts.
Specifications
- Format
- 35mm
- Year
- 1983
- Lens
- Chinon 38mm f/2.8
- Min. focus
- 1.1 m
- Flash
- Built-in
- Battery
- 2× AA
Notable features
- Active infrared AF
- Motorized film transport
- Programmed AE
Shooting it today
The Chinon 38mm f/2.8 is the everyday-light specialist — not a low-light hero, but contrasty, sharp and honest at every aperture. Film supply is a non-issue: any 35mm cassette from any lab works. It runs on common AA batteries — you can resurrect one on a Sunday afternoon with whatever the corner shop has in stock. The built-in flash will fire whenever the meter decides it should, so learn the override before your first night out. Minimum focus is 1.1 m, close enough for a coffee cup or a face but stops short of true macro. The mild-normal focal length flatters faces and street scenes alike without either looking forced.
Who it's for · Verdict
Quietly underrated, the Chinon Auto 3001 is the kind of camera people brag about owning five years from now and ten times the price.
Fun facts
- §1One of Chinon's earliest fully automatic AF compacts.
Find one
Most copies turn up second-hand on eBay. We've linked a saved search so you can see current listings.
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